Adjustable fastener



Dec. l2, 1950 L. RosEMAN 2,534,064

ADJUSTABLE FASTENER Filed July 5, 1946 Gitorneg Patented Dec. 12, 1950UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates in general to vfasteners of the type whichincludes a plurality of fastener elements such as bars, hooks, eyes,eyelets and the like that are attached to one of two parts to befastened together to cooperate selectively with a hook or the like thatis connected to the other of said parts, whereby said parts, which maybe, for example, two portions of a garment or an article, can beadjust-ably fastened together.

One object of the invention is to provide a fastener of this generalcharacter which shall include novel and improved fastener elements,preferably rigid elements formed of wire, secured to `a piece of tape ora garment in a novel and improved lway, whereby the fasteners shall bethin, flat, flexible, devoid of projections that may cause discomfort tothe wearer of a garment embodying the fastener, and at the same timeshall be strong and durable.

Another object is to provide a combination of a flexible body section,such 'as a piece of fabric tape, and a novel and improved fastenerelement secured to the tape by stitches, whereby the fastener elementmay be easily located by the sense of touch, and the fastener elementshall cooperate with the stitches in a novel and improved way -so thatthe fastener element shall be firmly held `against movement in alldirections in its own plane and some of the strain imposed upon thefastener element by the hook section of the fastener shall bedistributed through the stitches in such a way as to reduce the tendencyof such strains to tear the fastener elements off the body section ortape.

A further object is to provide a novel aand improved fastener elementfor fasteners of this character, which shall comprise a piece of wire orthe like so shaped as to effectually interlock with stitches forapplying the fastener element to a body section or tape, reduce thepossibility 'of the fastener element cutting the stitches or the tapeand prevent longitudinal movement of the element.

Other objects are to provide a novel fastener element of the characterdescribed which shall have a novel shape whereby the stitches utilizedfor fastening it to the tape or body section shall be disposed below thegeneral plane of the side of the tape that might contact :with the bodyof the wearer, whereby to prevent irritation to the skin of the wearerby such stitches; to provide such a fastener element so shaped that aplurality thereof may be easily and quickly slipped over or stacked on amagazine strip for use with sewing machines that may be employed forattaching the fastener elements to the tape, and to optan. otheradvantages and results as will be brought out by the followingdescription in combination with the accompanying drawing in which Figure1 is a fragmentary top plane view of an adjustable fastener embodying myinvention, portions being broken away for clearness of illustration.

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view, on an enlargedscale, taken on the plane of line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged transverse vertical sectional view on the planeof the line 3 3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmental top plan View of a modified form of theinvention, with portions broken away.

Figure 5 is an enlarged transverse vertical sectional view on the line5-5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a View similar to Figure 4 showing another modification ofthe invention.

' Figure 7 is a like view showing a further modification of thefastener.

Figure 8 is a View similar to Figure 4 showing a modification of theinvention to include the hook fastener element.

Figure 9 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal sectional view on the line9--9 of Figure 8.

Figure 10 is la fragmental top plan view of a further modification ofthe invention including another type of hook fastener element.

Figure 11 is yan enlarged vertical longitudinal sectional view on theline I I-II of Figure l0.

Figure 12 is a perspective view showing a double fastener embodying theinvention, and

Figure 13 is a fragmentary schematic perspective view showing the mannerof stacking the fastener elements on a fastener holding strip for amagazine.

Specifically describing the embodiment of the invention illustrated inFigures l, 2 and 3, inclusive, the reference characters A and Bdesignate the two sections of my fastener, one of which includes aplurality of fastener elements.

C which selectively :cooperate with the other section B of the fastenerwhich is in the form of a hook.

While the invention contemplates the application of the fastenerelements C and the hook B directly to two parts to be connected forexample, to portions of a garment or article, the invention moreparticularly contemplates a fastener wherein the fastener elements areconnected to a tape or strip which may be applied to a portioncontinuous of la garment or article generally designated D, and the hookB is connected to a tape or the like which may be connected to the otherportion of the garment or article.

More specifically describing the invention, the part A comprises a bodystrip I of suitable material, for example, flexible fabric thatpreferably has its edge portions folded inwardly as at 2 upon the sameside of the strip, and the fastener elements C are secured between themain portion of the strip and said infolded edge portions with theirintermediate portions exposed in a channel which is formed between themargins 3 of the infolded edge portions 2. Preferably a cushioning stripla, e. g. ilannel, is interposed between the fastener elements and theVmain 'portion of the strip I.

Each fastener element comprises a length of round wire 4 theintermediate portion 5 of which is substantially straight while its endportions '.2

are vcurved inwardly toward each other iin spaced relation to thestraight portion 5 to Ifor'rninwardly opening loops, the extremities ofthewire extending from the ends 'of the 'respective loops approximatelyperpendicularly to the straight in- L termediate portion 5 as indicatedat l.

The fastener elements are disposed on the top section, base or tape Iwith their loops 6 located between the main portion 'of the strip and'the respective inturned edges 2, and the .fastener elements are securedto the base, strip 'or tape by lines of stitches which can be formed inone continuous operation, each `of which extends longitudinally alongthe margin of each -inturned edge portion 2, certain of said stitchestraversing the straight portions 5 of the fastener elements inwardly ofthe loops t as rndioated `Vat 53, there being vpreferably a plurality ofthe stitches 's superimposed upon each other to provide a firmattachment of the fastener elements to the strip i. As show-n, thesevstitches 8 and 9 :pass through all of the layers or -plies of the stripincluding the main portion and the inturned edge portions, and also runclosely adjacent to the inner sides of the lstraight end portions "i ofthe fastener elements,

With this construction, the terminal .portions 'i of the Afastenerelements abut the stitches -S so as to'prevent their movementlongitudinally of themselves and transversely of the strip lI Aand alsoto transfer thereto and'distribute over the strip some ofthe strainsimposed on the fastener elements by the hook; 'and tht-:se Vterminalportions also restrain any lte'nderic'y of the fastener elements torotate. Furthermore, these terminal portions reinforce the edge portions3 of the strip I that form the walls of the channel for the hook B,while the curved loops S permit the stitches 9 to be located closelyadjacent the margins 3 of the strip and close to the Zone of strainimposed upon t'he straight portions 5 of the fastener elements by thehook B. The curved lloops t vand the terminal portions 'i reduce thepossibility of the fastener elements cutting through the stitches or thefabric of the strip.

Another advantage of the fastener element shaped as above described, isthat it may be easily slipped over and held upon a fastener holdingstrip or bar E (Figure 13) that is commonly used fin .magazines forfastener elements in sewing machines which are employed 'for vstitchingfastener elements to tapes, garments or articles.

A modification of the invention is shown in l,Figure 4 where thefastener element vF is in gen- Sii dil

eral similar to the element C but does not have the straight terminalportions 1. The element F is simply a straight piece of round Wirehaving its end portions bent inwardly to form the open loops il]corresponding to the loops 6.

It may be desirable in some instances to make the intermediate portionsof the fastener elements curved as indicated at il in Figure 5 and tocause the lines of stitches I2, corresponding to the stitches 8, totraverse the said vcurved portions of the fastener elements and therebydraw the underside I3 of the base or body strip I4 upwardly against thecurved portion II, so that the ends of the stitches at the underside ofthe body strip are located above the general plane of the underside ofsaid strip in such a manner as to reduce the'possibility of irritationby said stitches to the skin of the wearer of a garment to which thefastener is attached.

Another' modification is shown in Figure 6 of the drawing where thefastener 'element Geomprises a straight piece of round wire having itsen'd .portions i5 bent at right angles to the intermediate portion I6.

Figure 'l shows still another form of the invention where the fastenerelement H consists 'of merely a straight piece of round wire Il'.

'The fastener elements F, G and I-I lare vsecured to the respectivebases, body Ystrips or tapes I4, i8 and l@ in substantially the samemanner that the fastener `elements C Iare fastened to the tape or baseI.

It may be desirable in some instances to make a 'double fastener tape,in which case two pieces J and K of the tape like those shown in Figuresl, e, 6 or -7 may have their corresponding ends secured together in anysuitable manner, e. g. by binding tape 2i, or by zigzag stitching,`overlooking stitching, marrowing, etc. The other ends of the strips maybe secured to 'a garment or other article L in any suitable manner, asshown in Figure l2.

The invention also contemplates fastener elements of the hook type aswell as fastener elements of the eye type and Figures 8 to 1l,inclusive, shew modifications of the invention wherein hook and fastenerelements are embodied.

Referring particularly to Figures vS and 9, the structure is essentiallythe same as that illustrated in Figures l and 2 except that instead ofthe straight rigid bar portion 5, the intermediate portion -of thefastener element is in form of a hoo-k bill 22. The base of the hookincludes the loop. Portions 23 and straight terminal portions I24corresponding to the loops t vand terminal portions l and the superposedstitches 25, which correspond to the stitches 9, traverse the baseportion of the hook close to the bill 22 and along `the margins of theinturned portions 26 of the body strip 2l' of the fastener part.

In Figures 10 and 1l, a known type of wire hook Vis included whichcomprises an approximately Vedge portions of the base strips, instead ofonly through 'a carrier strip such as is common in the prior art, forexample Patent No. 2,282,410.

With this construction, all of the fastener elements can be applied tothe base strip in one continuous sewing operation, and the fastener isstrong and durable.

It will also be noted that Where the fastener element is a hook, thehump and bill of the hook are fully exposed and not covered by cloth,whereby attachment of the hook to a complementary eye shall not behindered by layers of cloth between the bill and the base of the hook.This construction also eliminates the difliculty encountered in knownhook fasteners which arises from wear of the fabric that overlies thehump of the hook. How-ever, the major portion of the base of the hook iscovered and concealed by the fabric of the tape.

While I have shown in each case a base strip having two or more fastenerelements on it, it will be understood that the invention contemplatesfasteners wherein there is only one hook or z.

eye on the base strip.

Other modifications in the construction and use of the tape will occurto those skilled in the art within the spirit and scope of theinvention.

What I claim is:

1. An adjustable fastener part comprising a base strip havinglongitudinal edges folded at the same side of the strip with theirmargins forming a channel between them, a plurality of fastener elementsspaced longitudinally of said strip, each including a main rigid barportion extending transversely of said channel having end portions eachreturned parallel and in opposed spaced relation to and at the same sideof said rigid bar portion to form an inwardly facing open loop, said endportions being located between said infolded edge portions and the mainportion of said strip, and a continuous single line of stitches runninglongitudinally along the margin of each inturned edge portion inwardlyof and closely adjacent said returned end portions of said fastenerelements and penetrating said edge portions and said main portion ofsaid base strip, certain of said stitches in each line traversing saidrigid bar portions.

2. An adjustable fastener part comprising a base strip havinglongitudinal edges folded at the same side of the strip with theirmargins forming a channel between them, a plurality of fastener elementsspaced longitudinally of said strip, each including a main rigid barportion extending transversely of said Channel having end portions eachreturned parallel and in opposed spaced relation to and at the same sideof said rigid bar portion to form an inwardly facing open loop and thenextending perpendicularly to said bar portion to form terminal portions,said end portions being located between said infolded edge portions andthe main portion of said strip with said terminal portions disposedadjacent the respective margins of said infolded edge portions, and acontinuous single line of stitches running longitudinally along themargin of each inturned edge portion inwardly of and closely adjacentsaid terminal portions and penetrating said edge portions and said mainportion of said :base strip, certain of said stitches in each line beingdisposed in abutting relation to each of said rigid bar portions.

LEO ROSEMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Y Date

